At the End of the Day
by LilFlyergirl
Summary: Sarah Jane returns and Rose begins to worry where the Doctor's heart lies... until Sarah is kidnapped, and once again they're on a run for their life. 10Rose
1. Chapter 1

At the End of the Day

10/Rose

Sarah Jane looked around the TARDIS, her eyes wide, "You've redecorated."

The Doctor grinned, watching her. "My Sarah Jane. How long has it been?"

"Too long, Doctor." She said.

The Doctor opened his arms, and Sarah gave him a tight hug. Ah, hugging the Doctor. It was always such a special feeling, and she had missed it so much. She had missed _him_ every day since he had left. All she had left of him was her little metal dog.

It was then that Rose strolled into the main control room, ready for anything the universe would throw at her… except this. The Doctor was wrapped around a woman, and a small metal creature sat at their heels. Thinking back, it was here that the green-eyed monster of jealousy roared its ugly head, and here where she felt the familiar pain in her heart. _Hurt_. It was the only word she could used to describe the new found feeling in her chest. Rose watched them but a moment, when the contraption sprung to life, bellowing "INTRUDER!"

Rose gasped, and watched as it rolled from behind the woman and stopped at Rose's feet, its small antennae shaped ears revolving wildly. _It looks like a dog._ A robot dog. Rose couldn't help but smile at it, it was positively cute.

"K-9, that's just Rose." The Doctor said, pulling away from the woman. "She's a friend of mine."

"You two know each other?" Rose asked, referring to the dog, but nodding to the woman. The woman kept starring at her. _She's_ the intruder, Rose thought. Who knew the Doctor was such a player?

"I see you've traded me in for a newer model." The woman said.

"Oh Sarah, I would never do that. How could I? You broke the mold."

The woman blushed, and Rose frowned. Was he flirting with this woman right in front of her? It wasn't like he hadn't done so before; but this time it was different. Rose watched him as he looked at the woman, and he had a spark in his eye that could only be described as love.

"Rose Tyler, meet Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane, Rose Tyler." The Doctor introduced them with a grin. "Oh." He nodded to the dog, "And that's K-9, my dog."

K-9 rolled forward once again and stopped at Rose's feet. "Pleasure to meet you."

Rose bent down to the dog and rubbed its head. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you had a dog!" She scolded the Doctor.

"Well, he's been living with Sarah."

And then it dawned on her. "You used to travel with the Doctor?" Rose asked.

Sarah nodded, and stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "Yes…Where are my manners… nice to meet you. Rose, right?"

Rose nodded, and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you as well."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them, the slow hum of the TARDIS filling in the gap. It was new met old, old flame VS new love. And both women had their eyes on the Doctor, demanding an explanation. The Doctor cleared his throat and clapped his hands. "How about breakfast?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Sarah and I have been keeping in touch recently." The Doctor explained, munching on a large wad of pancake in the small diner. "We decided to meet up again, for old time's sake."

_Why?_ The question entered Rose's mind before she had a chance to stop it. She had to hold her tongue to stop herself from asking the question. The simple question that held all the answers in the universe. Why now were they deciding to keep in touch? Why was this woman invading Rose's territory? Rose sat across from him, her eyes on her bagel. It was the way he said it that made her stomach do flips. It was like he _longed_ for Sarah Jane.

_Sarah Jane. What an incredibly stupid name…_

She scolded herself. Sarah had been nothing but nice to her, and here she was pouting like a three year old. So what if she was the Doctor's old traveling buddy? She had moved on with her life, hadn't she? But something in the air told Rose that from this day forward, things between her and the Doctor would be different.

"Do you know what this reminds me of?" Sarah asked, "When we were running for our lives from these creatures with hands for swords, and they were throwing food at us!"

The Doctor laughed out loud, "We barely survived!"

Now the two of them were laughing hysterically, and reminiscing. Rose shoved her bagel away. Was this the way Mickey had felt? She suddenly had a new found respect for her former boyfriend. He had sat here, listening to her flirt and reminisce with the Doctor, and he had done so with polite courtesy. And how did she repay him? By just taking off again without so much as a look back, that's how. He had been right; she had acted like their relationship was nothing since the Doctor showed up.

But it hadn't been nothing. She did have fun with Mickey, and at one point was in love with him. That was until the Doctor came into her store, saved her from mannequins and offered her the chance of a lifetime. She had left in a heartbeat. That seemed so long ago now…

Sarah and the Doctor had so much history together; she couldn't compete against that. Who knew how long Sarah Jane Smith had been traveling with the Doctor? Rose's few months couldn't compare.

"Rose, you're not touching your bagel." The Doctor said.

"I'm not that hungry." Rose whispered.

The laughter stopped abruptly, and she felt two pairs of eyes on her, judging her, wondering why she was sitting there, acting like a pouting child who didn't want to eat their vegetables.

"You're always hungry." The Doctor replied.

Sarah looked between them. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Why don't I give you two a minute…" And she excused herself to go check on K-9.

"Rose, are you okay?" The Doctor asked her.

"You didn't even mention her." Rose said, finally looking him in the eye. "How do you expect me to feel?"

The Doctor sighed. _Women… EARTH women, anyway…_

"I was always honest with you when Mickey and I were together."

"Do you want me to go through nine hundred years of romances with you?"

"Yes!" She yelled, "At least tell me what I'm up against!"

The elderly couple in the corner of the diner looked up and over at their table.

"Rose, it's not like that…"

Rose said, "Is that what you're going to do with me? Once I'm older, you're just going to drop me off at home and get a younger girl? Is that what you do, Doctor?"

"I would never do that to you. Not to you."

And it was the way he said it that brought tears to her eyes. "Why?" She whispered, "I care about you, Doctor. But obviously you don't care enough about me to at least mention this woman's name to me."

"Why does it matter whether I did or not?" The Doctor asked softly, his eyes on his hands. He hadn't been able to look at her crying.

"Do you love her?" Rose asked.

The Doctor continued to stare at his hands.

"Answer me." She commanded. It felt weird ordering the Doctor around, though she did it at least nine hundred times prior to this subconsciously. But now she was able to dissect what she was saying.

"I don't know." He whispered, finally able to look her in the eye.

Rose flopped back in her chair, and turned away from him, the light from the dim diner making the tears that threatened to fall sparkle like a glittering ocean.

"Would you leave if I do love her, Rose?"

"_I_ don't know." She whispered, wiping a tear. And then a question tumbled out of her mouth. A question she didn't want to ask him now, maybe never… "Do you love me?" And her head snapped to him, taking in his expression.

His eyes held a bit of shock at first, and then he lowered them to his plate of food. He reached across the table and covered her hand with his own. "Rose, I..."

The sound of a piercing scream interrupted them. "It's Sarah!" He cried, and jumped up, and ran out the door. Rose dug into her pocket and threw some money on the table before following him.


End file.
